ML092050535
| ML092050535 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 08/06/2009 |
| From: | Borchardt R NRC/EDO |
| To: | Boxer B US SEN (Senate) |
| Hall, J R, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 301-415-4032 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML092050377 | List: |
| References | |
| G20090408, LTR-09-0359, SECY-2009-0353, TAC ME1724, TAC ME1725 | |
| Download: ML092050535 (2) | |
Text
August 6, 2009 The Honorable Barbara Boxer United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Boxer:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter to Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko, dated July 14, 2009, which requested that we address questions from California State Senator Christine Kehoe concerning the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), located near San Clemente, CA.
Southern California Edison (SCE), the licensee for SONGS, plans to replace the steam generators in Units 2 and 3. In her letter, Senator Kehoe expressed concern regarding those plans, in light of the continuing performance problems discussed in the NRCs recent annual assessment letter for SONGS, dated March 4, 2009. Senator Kehoe asked the following questions:
What oversight role, if any, will the NRC play during the replacement of the steam generators? What permits are required? Have other reactors had holes cut in their domes? Will the work be done on both domes at the same time, and if so, how long will energy production at the site be interrupted?
The NRC staffs annual assessment letter described our ongoing concerns with SCEs performance at SONGS, specifically citing the areas of human performance and problem identification and resolution. In that letter, the staff identified the actions to be taken by SCE and reviewed by the NRC to address those performance concerns. However, we also stated that SCE operated SONGS in a manner that preserved public health and safety. In the NRC staffs judgment, SCE is capable of conducting the steam generator replacement activities safely, without the need for the NRC to impose any additional restrictions.
The March 4, 2009, letter from NRC to SCE also described our planned inspection activities at SONGS over the next year. The NRC will conduct a specific inspection of steam generator replacement activities at Unit 2 during the upcoming refueling outage in the fall of 2009. This inspection will be performed by NRC technical experts with previous experience conducting similar inspections. The NRC plans to perform a similar inspection of the Unit 3 steam generator replacement activities in the fall of 2010. These inspections will follow the guidance of NRC Inspection Procedure (IP) 50001, Steam Generator Inspection Procedure, and Appendix B to that procedure, Temporary Containment Opening Review Guidance. A copy of Appendix B to IP 50001 is enclosed. The NRC will provide additional oversight of the steam generator replacements at SONGS through ongoing routine inspections by the NRC resident inspectors, who are full-time NRC staff members located at the SONGS site. The NRC will conduct its inspection activities before, during, and after the installation of the new steam generators. Such inspections are a key element in the NRCs regulatory framework to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety and the environment.
SCE is authorized to replace its steam generators under the existing NRC operating licenses for SONGS Units 2 and 3, and may cut a temporary opening in the reactor containments to do so without seeking additional licensing authority if its planned activities meet the requirements of its licenses and applicable NRC regulations. SCE has determined that a license amendment is not required for its replacement of the steam generators. SCE further determined that NRC approval was needed to revise certain license requirements regarding operation with the new steam generators in place, due to their new design. SCE formally requested approval of these changes in an application dated June 27, 2008, as supplemented by letters dated August 13, 2008, and February 5, 2009. The NRC staff found the proposed changes acceptable, and approved them on June 25, 2009.
Steam generators have been replaced at approximately 50 U.S. reactors; at more than 10 of those facilities, a temporary opening was cut in the containment structure to allow those large components to pass through. Before modifying each containment structure at SONGS, SCE will remove all nuclear fuel from the containment building. After SCE has replaced the steam generators at each unit, it will repair the steel-reinforced concrete shell and steel liner of that units containment structure so that it will continue to meet its functional requirement to provide an essentially leak-tight barrier against the uncontrolled release of radioactivity. In addition to the NRC oversight provided through our inspection activities, SCE will apply internal controls to ensure the quality of the work, and is required to conduct a test prior to the restart of each unit by pressurizing the containment structure and demonstrating that any measured leakage is less than the design limits.
With respect to the timing of these activities, SCE plans to replace the steam generators during each units next refueling outage; in the fall of 2009 for Unit 2 and in the fall of 2010 for Unit 3.
Nuclear power plant refueling outages can vary considerably in duration, as they are dependent on the full scope of activities planned by the licensee. However, outages involving steam generator replacements generally last several weeks longer than a typical refueling outage.
SCE determines the outage scope and schedule for SONGS, and coordinates with the grid operator and other utilities to ensure the availability of replacement power during plant outages.
Please contact Rebecca Schmidt, Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, at (301) 415-1776, if you need further assistance or information regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
/RA/
R. W. Borchardt Executive Director for Operations
Enclosure:
As stated cc: Senator Christine Kehoe
Pkg ML092050377, Incoming ML092080227, Response ML092050535, Encl ML092150004
- by email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4/PM NRR/DORL/LPL4/BC QTE*
NRR/DORL/D OGC NAME JRHall MMarkley KAzariah-Kribbs JGiitter STurk DATE 07/24/09 07/24/09 07/23/09 07/30/09 07/31/09 OFFICE RIV*
OCA/D NRR/D EDO NAME ECollins (CCasto for)
RSchmidt (APowell for)
ELeeds (BBoger for)
RBorchardt DATE 07/31/09 07/31/09 08/04/09 08/06/09